CHAPTER TWO

THE NEXT DAY…

The spiked-haired John Doe woke up in his hospital room. The first thing he saw were the clouds floating outside the window. They reminded him of the wonderful dream he just had. He was up in the sky, riding the clouds. He was free as a bird.

What he wouldn't give to be free; if only one of those clouds would come through the window right now and take him far away from this place, leaving these doctors with their needles and tiny food rations far behind. His stomach has been growling since he first woke up here. But what hurt more than his injuries was that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't remember anything. Everyone called him John Doe, but it didn't feel right. That's not his real name; that he's certain of. But his real name…? His mind felt completely blank.

All he could do now was look at the clouds and fight back tears. (Why can't I remember? My name…my life… It's all gone! Somebody help me…! Please…?)

MEANWHILE…

Mari Kanata woke up from a good night's sleep in a cozy little room in a bed-and-breakfast located just outside the market area in Itlaia Village. The owners are a kind, elderly couple making the best of their retirement years. Most of their vast property is used for farming, so between renting their spare rooms and planting fruits and vegetables to sell in the market, they do very well for themselves.

One of the advantages of capsulation is that it eliminates parking problems. Once Mari found the place, she was able to 'park' her car into her bag. Perhaps it's a good thing her father is a board member of Capsule Corporation. But right now, that's the only good thing she can say about her father.

After a quick shower and a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, she took advantage of the nice, sunny weather by treating herself to a private walking tour. As she headed toward the Market Square, she came across the occasional bicyclist, some neighbours and even some work hands. Fortunately, the worst she received from them were some wave and a few hellos, which she gladly returned. Maybe it won't be so bad here, after all.

The Market Square was bustling with activity. Everywhere she looked there were grocers, hardware stores, restaurants, craft stores, clothing stores, pubs…

(Clothing…) It now occurred to Mari that John Doe's clothes were torn to shreds. If everything he had was in that cave, he'll need something to wear when he's released…

Suddenly, his cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Kanata? This is Dr. Pinochet, from the hospital. John Doe has regained consciousness."

"That's great! Has he told you his name?"

"The thing is… Our visiting hours don't start until 12:00, but can you come to the hospital a little sooner?"

Mari could see the hospital from where she was. It's the biggest building in the village, after all. "Uh… Okay. I'm in the market now, but I should be there shortly." Once she was out of the Market Square, she de-capsulated her hover car and headed straight for the hospital.

LATER, IN DR. PINOCHET'S OFFICE…

"He has…amnesia?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. When he came to last night I tried to question him, but he seems to have no memory of his past whatsoever. When I told him he was in a hospital, he suddenly became very nervous. I had a nurse come in with a sedative, but when he saw the needle he panicked and tried to make a break for it. The casts on his arm and legs were the least of his concerns."

It took everything Mari had to maintain a straight face. "O-kay… So, one thing we do know about him is that he's scared to death of needles." She leaned forward a bit. "How far did he get?"

"Funny you should ask. It took four orderlies to tackle him down and drag him from the window. His room is on the seventh floor."

"He…tried to…jump out…the…?"

"Exactly. And the only way to stop him from screaming his lungs out and scaring the other patients was to promise not to use the needle. This will prolong his recovery. But fortunately, we do have medicine in tablet form. He did manage to get some sleep last night. And seeing how difficult it was for the orderlies to subdue him makes me wonder how you managed to bring him in all by yourself. So, please forgive me, but I must ask… Did he hit you?"

Mari was taken aback. "No! He never laid a hand on me! He was unconscious and I dragged him to my car the best I could..."

The doctor raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I'm asking because it looks like you're covering bruises, especially on the right side of your face. And he is rather muscular…"

(Bruises…?) "Look, Doctor… What I'm about to show you, I've lived with my entire life…and not by choice…" After a deep breath, Marah slowly took off her shades and pushed back her dark hair.

Now Dr. Pinocher understood. It's a birthmark. And it looked like it was smeared over her right eye and left to drip down her cheek. It reminded him of the rock band 'Kiss'.

Mari broke the silence. "I can't tell you how hard it's been for me. My parents…can't believe they could conceive such an ugly child. To make matters worse, my younger sister was born completely unblemished. Do I need to go further?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I had to make sure John Doe didn't hurt you in any way. I thought you should know… It's like this… When it comes to amnesiacs, we do everything we can to identify them and locate their families so they can help them recover and regain their memories. We would notify the police, and they would use their fingerprint system to find their identities. Unfortunately, it seems his fingerprints are not on the system. Whoever John Doe is, he is definitely not from around here, or the neighbouring cities."

"Okay… So, what happens now?"

"Presently, he still needs treatment. The question is: what do we do with him when he recovers? If he was a child, we would recommend the orphanage. But your John Doe is a grown man…"

Mari did not like the sound of that. (My John Doe? All I did was bring him to the hospital. Suddenly he's my responsibility?)

"…I'm afraid if he doesn't regain his memory…we'll have no choice but to put him in our psychiatric facility…"

"An asylum? That's a little extreme, isn't it? He's not insane; he's just…well, he's lost. If a regular hospital scares him, how will he handle being in the asylum?"

"Are you sure you don't know him? You seem deeply concerned for someone you've never met before."

"It's just… Well, I… Can I see him?"

Dr. Pinocher looked at the clock on his desk. It's 12:05. Visiting hours have begun. "Of course. Follow me, please. You can leave your bag here if you like."

Mari once again had to pretend to not notice the staring from the hospital staff, especially now that she left her sunglasses in Pinocher's office. After all these years, she should be used to this kind of treatment. On the bright side, staring was all they did. Back home…she learned the hard way how cruel people can be.

When they entered John Doe's room, he was staring out the window. He looked so sad and lonely. The clouds floating outside had his full attention.

Mari waited near the door while Dr. Pinocher broke the silence. "Hello, John. How are you feeling?"

It took a moment, but John Doe eventually turned his head. He still looked scared, and Mari couldn't help but blame him. He obviously didn't like being in a hospital, but where could he go if he couldn't even remember his own name?

"It's alright, John. You don't need to be afraid of me. I made a promise, remember? No needles. Do you remember that? No needles, I promise." John Doe slowly nodded his head. "Okay, now. There's someone I want you to meet." Pinocher beckoned Mari to approach.

As much as she did not want to believe this was happening, she couldn't stop herself from walking to the bed (Well, here goes…).

And now John Doe saw a new person approach his bed. He couldn't remember seeing anyone like her, but he couldn't stop staring at her… There was something about her face…

Dr. Pinocher stepped aside a bit. "John Doe, this is Mari Kanata. She's the one who rescued you."

Mari braced herself as she gave a little smile and softly said, "Hello." The way John Doe returned the greeting surprised her a bit. She was used to people flinching with disgust. She could always see it in their eyes. But this guy, he looked… fascinated?!

The next thing she knew John Doe had asked, "Why…are you…wearing a mask?"

(A mask, he says.) "Well…the thing is…" Mari wiped a hand under her eye and held it out for him to see that it was smudge-free. "…It's not a mask. It's a birthmark."

"What's a…birthmark?"

After a quick glance to Dr. Pinocher, Mari said, "It's hard to explain exactly. It's a skin condition. Some people are born with marks like these on their body, though not all of them appear on the face, like this one. I don't know why I look like this. It's just something that happens, I guess."

John Doe still looked fascinated. "Wow. It looks nice…"

A WHILE LATER…

Mari was with Pinocher in his office. "Well, Doctor… It looks like his injuries are more severe than we thought."

"You're not used to getting compliments, are you?"

"No, no I'm not."

"Well, I am pleased with the way you handled his questions. Talking with you calmed him down considerably. Who knows? He might be able to sleep without sedatives tonight."

Mari couldn't help but smirk. "As long as you remember his 'no needles' policy, he'll be fine. By the way, are the police still trying to figure out who he is?"

"Yes, they're still investigating. In the meantime, you told him you'd pay him another visit. I hope you mean that. It will do him good to know he has a friend looking in on him. Putting his mind at ease may help him remember something."

"Okay, but one more thing: I swear I heard his stomach growling. Don't you feed him?"

"Of course we do. He gets the same standard rations we give all our patients on solid food. But his stomach doesn't know when to quit."

Later in the day, Mari was back at the Market Square. There's a quiet little café near the center of the square. She's been there before; they make great sandwiches and desserts, and they also have a little library and internet access. Sipping hot chocolate with a good book can work wonders. But now, as she stared into her cup, reading a book was the last thing on her mind.

She still couldn't believe it…John Doe liked her face! No one ever gave her such a compliment. She was always told to cover her face. She even tried make-up, but someone was always ready to splash her with water. And now, someone actually said she looked nice. He didn't even flinch.

Come to think of it, neither did Dr. Pinocher.

TO BE CONTINUED

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How did our favourite, loveable saiyan wind up in this condition? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out...